Your birthday letter this year is way overdue as we are already on the last day of February. As you know, the past month has been challenging and mama is preoccupied with one thing or the other.
Yet, this letter for you has been at the back of my mind and I can't quite rest till it is written.

The word that I will choose to describe the past year's experience with you is phenomenal. You continue to blow my mind with how much you are learning, understanding and expressing. People were
often surprised when they learned that you were 3-year-old because you spoke well.

2016 started out with great hope and anticipation as you were going to have a sibling or so we thought. You were so thrilled to be an older sister as you have been talking about becoming one.
When the news of the miscarriage came, I shared it with you with a heavy heart. Initially, you denied it and said, "no, you are still pregnant, there is still baby". We left it as that and
didn't talk much about it. A few days later, as we were walking to the bus stop to go to school, you said the following to me: "mama, baby is not here anymore. Baby is in heaven." I was taken
aback at that random pronouncement as we had never really spoken about baby being in heaven. Somehow, that brought me much comfort and it helped me tremendously in my grieving and healing
process. Following that, you continued to show kindness, empathy and hold space for me, as I cried for the loss. When I cried, you would hold my hand, take the tissue and help wipe away my tears.
To receive such level of emotional support from the 3-year-old you was not something that I had expected. Yes, I have known you to be a child with high empathy and to experience that support
first hand touches me profoundly. Mama is so very grateful for your unconditional love and support, my darling.

Major changes continued to happen in the first quarter of last year. Firstly, our dear Kakak D decided to leave us and return to her home country. In fact she left exactly a year ago.
Incidentally, Aunty K left our employment today as well. You shared a a really close relationship with Kakak D and she was totally an older sister to you. I was very sad when she first told me of
her intention to leave. It took me several weeks to get over my sense of loss. Surprisingly, you took it well. We went to the airport and spent the last few hours together. You managed to hold
back your tears and it was us, the adults who broke down and cried during the farewell.

When Aunty K came to work for us in March last year, you welcomed her with open arms. She was a little reserved and quiet unlike Kakak D who was more extroverted. Your loveliness and warmth
finally opened her up to you. We had to let her go because of unforeseen circumstance. Again, you demonstrated such maturity when you said your goodbye to her this morning. I learn a lot about
letting go by observing how you do it. It has been our blessing to have had good helpers thus far. Now, it is time for us to be responsible and take ownership towards keeping the house neat,
clean and tidy. It will be an adjustment but we will get there with time.

The second major change that happened last year was that we transferred you from a childcare center to a kindergarten. What a tremendous change! From a small class of 15, you transitioned to a
class of 18 with assembly and prayer in the morning together with all the students in the school. Not only that, you have to take the school bus to the kindergarten as well. To get ready for the
school bus, we had to wake up much earlier at 6.15 am. That's very early for someone as little as you! Yet, you gave me little problem and would cooperate, most of the time. Of course there were
times when you procrastinated and said that you didn't want to go to school but all in all, I think you did brilliantly.

It took you some time to adjust to the school set-up, understandably. In your childcare, you were among the oldest in the class since your birthday is in Jan. When you transferred to MK, you
discovered that there were other older students, those who were in kindergarten one or two. In fact, your level was the youngest in the kindergarten. It wasn't easy for you at first as I suppose
from being the jiejie, you became the meimei in this environment. Gradually, you adapted to going school independently on the school bus and you made new friends in the class. Mama is very proud
of you and I have been impressed at your adaptability and openness. What I miss most is our time in the morning when I used to send you to school on the public bus. That time ended sooner than
expected. Now, I savour the time when I bring you to the void deck to wait for the school bus. We do our little ritual of saying the morning prayers together and hearing you pray is truly music
to my ears. This is precious time that I keep close to my heart because I know that in a few more years, you won't even need me to send you off to school.

As I reflected on the last year, what stood up most was how much more activities and outings that we did compared to when you were younger. At 3, you were ready to start going for classes
unaccompanied and we decided to expose you to those areas that you've shown interest in. One of them is performing, both singing and dancing. We signed you up with Kids Performing and you stayed
with them for two semesters and you did a total of four performances - two in schools and two with public audience. We were so thrilled to watch you perform the first time! You sang
'Everyday Hero' for your first performance. While you didn't remember most of the the dance steps and lyric, it was great to see you confidently performing in front of the audience.

For your first performance for the public, you did two shows on the same day!! I was concerned about how you'd cope but you did it. I imagine that there was plenty of waiting and doing nothing as
your segment was just a couple of minutes. It is not easy being a performer as there are lots of rehearsals and waiting period. It requires patience and perseverance. These are important virtues
that you will need to inculcate. At this stage, the focus was really on exposure and we didn't really expect you to perform perfectly. And you tend to get distracted by the bright lights and
people and not so focused on performing. That seemed to improve as you get older because on your last performance with them, you did so much better and appeared to have a lot of fun. At MK, your
level also did a year-end mini concert and I thought you participated well and enjoyed yourself.

Other than the performing class, we also started you on swimming and an IQ/EQ class with People Impact. The latter is to develop your social skills and emotional management in the class setting.
The classes are done mostly through games and over time, i started to hear you use words and phrases like "team work", "you are in my team, mama", and "we help each other". Team work,
communication and people-skill are of course important skills that one needs to develop. I am glad that you're learning the lessons. While there was a period of time when you were not interested
to go for the classes and the reason you gave was that you wanted to be with me. I am glad that we persevered because now you are benefiting from the classes and you no longer resist.

In addition, we did a lot more play dates with your ex-classmates from PSH. After all, these were your first friends in school so it's really wonderful that we live close by and could meet fairly
regularly. We watched your first theater performance -, "The boy who cried wolf" - and i think it left a deep impression. You knew the story and when the interpretation of the story was
slightly different, you asked about it. It gave me the opportunity to explain how the same story in the book can be interpreted in different way through play. The other shows that you really
enjoyed were Grandpa Cherry Blossom, 3 Little Pigs and 3 Billy Goats Gruff. Along with this, we've watched more movies as well. The first two times when you went to the cinema, you would be
frightened and asked to leave. For example, you watched The Good Dinasaur with Yiyi, and had to leave the theatre when she saw you tearing. When we watched Finding Dory, you watched the whole
show but left your seat at one small part. Now, you've gotten use to the idea of sitting down and watch the whole show. It is quite interesting for me to note the progression that you have gone
through.

Oh yes, we went for the first mall show in September. To be honest, mama hates crowd and going to the mall for a show is not really my idea of fun. But I suppose being a mother changes me.
Whatever that I can do to bring you a new experience and pleasure is something that I endeavor to do. So the show that we went for was Paw Patrol as you enjoyed the show quite a fair bit. Not
surprisingly your favourite character is Sky. During live performances like these, I actually enjoy watching you more than the characters on stage. To see you actively participating and enjoying
the performance brings me delight. Other new experiences that you have had in the past year include bowling, karaoke, playing badminton, sauna, onsen and ice-skating.

We did fun activities like visiting the fire station, going to the museums, the zoo, different playgrounds and hiking in nature. Towards the second half of the year, I notice that you have
better control of your body. You started to scoot more confidently and climbed more structures in the playground. You were no longer tentative and seemed to enjoy physical activity like running
and climbing. This is very different from my own childhood as I wasn't permitted to explore the outdoor much.

Our favourite place is of course Bishan Park and mama is so glad that we have such a great park just a stone's throw away. I still remember the first time you scooted at Bishan Park. You were so
thrilled. Initially, you were fearful of the small slope, and then i saw your eyes brighten up as you experienced the thrill and and the sense of achievement in overcoming your fear. And you
would repeat it. What I love about you is that you don't let fear stop you from trying and that's exactly what I want you to embrace. Courage is not the absence of fear but taking action in spite
of it. You've proven that you understood this since young. I remember the time when you fell off the swing when you were about 15-18 months old. You cried and then asked to be placed back on the
swing immediately. You weren't afraid of the fall. In fact you countered the fear by going back to the source of fear. I really like that about you.

We started to do more baking and cooking at home as well. You are a good helper in the kitchen, always eager to help me with the pouring, stirring and cracking of eggs. You many not always eat
what I make but when you do, you are usually generous with your praise. While I have tried doing art and craft with you, this is not something that I do well in. I know that I sometime frustrate
you as I can see how my comments might be a dampener to you. I promise that I will learn to let go of my expectations and let you take the lead. I've also realised that you don't do well with
pressure and "testing". When i tried to teach you the alphabets or numbers, you tend not to show interest. To be honest, I don't really enjoy drilling you because I believe learning will come
naturally from interest and curiosity. You will know your alphabets and numbers eventually.

You are someone who is creative and indeed there is no limit to your imagination. Everything is possible. Your stories are often funny and sometimes a little dark. You talk about death easily.
This is intentional because I believe that death is not a taboo subject and in order to live well we must be mindful of death. Ah, you also enjoy toilet humour! All in all, you have continued to
expand in your creativity and what a good story-teller you are! Recently, you have also started to tell stories in mandarin and I am just so pleased to hear you speak in the language. Your
favourite activity currently is pretend-play. I can understand how this is fun for you as it is so open-ended.

Last year, we were really blessed to be able to do several trips overseas. We went to Taichung and Taipei in March, Macau and Hong Kong in August, Spain in October, Taipei again in December with
yiyi and lastly to Hello Kitty Town in Johor with Gracie's family. We have known you to be a great traveler and that's the main reason why we continue to plan for family trips with you. You are
quite the pro in travelling now, no doubt about it. I had to travel solo with you to Barcelona and I was initially concerned. But you were such a trooper as you slept through 8 hours of the
flight and woke up fresh when we arrived in Barcelona. Whether we were on land, sea or air, you have no issue at all. In Taichung we went through winding roads to go to the countryside and
you proved that you have no car sickness. The tour guide was quite impressed with you and commented that you have "character". You enjoy taking pictures of papa and me and you would direct us as
to how to pose. It's quite hilarious most of the time. Sometimes we do get pretty nice shots from you and I kinda like the idea of having a personal photographer in you.

Ah yes, for a long time your city was Shanghai till we went to Macau. You love Macau because we saw an amazing show there - The House of the Dancing Water. You were engrossed from the start to finish and you loved it so much that we watched segments of the show on
youtube very frequently. This was your first acrobatic show of high quality and what a privilege it is that you get to experience it at the ripe age of 3. My first show of such calibre was Quidam by Cirque Du Soleil and I was already in my late 20s. We are thankful that we could provide you with experiences that can hopefully expand your horizon and
learning. Exploring Barcelona and Madrid with you was fun. We made sure there were kids stuff like playground and zoo and "adult stuff" like museums and sight-seeing. I like that when the
activity is not so interesting to you, you will choose to take a nap. You still enjoy being in the carrier and mama is grateful that you are lightweight!! Ah my back and shoulders! You have clear
preference for me to carry you and have your weird logic about why papa can't use my carrier to carry you. In preparation for our next trip, we have gotten papa his own carrier so you will have
no excuse of not letting him to carry you.

We really enjoy traveling with you, my darling. While it is very tiring, having the shared experience and conversations that connect us more deeply is so worth all the effort. We hope that
we can always explore the world together and for that my goal is to work on improving my health and fitness so that I can keep up with you! Speaking about health, we are thankful that your
immunity seems to have improve and that TCM and tuina work for you. You are still rather prone to cough and cold but I have noticed that you recover faster now. We hope that your health will
continue to strengthen.

Last year, you had your first taste of Hand Foot Mouth Disease. Thankfully, yours was atypical in that you did not present with fever and sores in the mouth. You had a few spots in your hands.
The doctor decided that it was still HFMD. I was just glad that you were not badly affected by it. Recently, I've noted that you have an idol and his name is Joseph Schooling. You watched
that historic event when he won the gold medal for Singapore and you cheered along. You know who he is and when you talk about him you have a shy smile which is quite cute. Yes, there's plenty
that you can emulate from him. My dear, he is more than his good look; what's more important is what a well-rounded, bright, kind and hardworking man he is. In fact, mama has so much to learn
from his parents. Never underestimate the dreams that you might have. What's most important is how you strive to achieve your dreams. Oftentimes, it is accompanied by hard work, diligence,
sacrifices, perseverance and faith.

In the family, you brought tremendous joy to everyone especially to your popo. You are quite adept at understanding what is needed by different individual in the family. It's quite fascinating to
observe. I notice that you are very calm for someone your age. Sometimes when I get worked up, you will speak to me with a tone that somehow would calm me down. To my surprise your response will
often disarm me. What a gift you have.

To conclude this long letter, mama just want to say how blessed we are to have a child like you. What great blessing it is that I can spend critical this time with you, experiencing the
milestones with you and watching you blossom into the beautiful and sweet little girl that you are. Overall, the past year was really pleasant and fun as you got better at managing your own
emotions and therefore there were fewer tantrums and meltdown. I am very thankful that you are emotionally literate and have understood that all emotion is acceptable. You are comfortable in
expressing both the positive and negative emotions and I take much pride in that. Being able to manage your emotions and that of others is truly one of the most important skills that you want to
develop.

This year, I experienced a greater depth of your love, something which I didn't even know was possible. Truly, you are my spiritual director and teacher. By observing you, I learn so much and I
am inspired daily to strive to a better version of myself. We influence each other and may the intimate bond that we share will never be broken no matter the trials and tests that come our way.
Indeed, four looks amazing on you my baby. Looking forward to what this year will bring. As long as we are together, we will be able to surmount any challenge that life throws at us. We will
embrace and use them to transform ourselves and become even more resilient and strong. May you discover God's steadfast love in the coming year and please be free to be you. We ask for God's
continual guidance and wisdom in raising you to be the unique and beautiful individual that He has created in you.

I can't imagine that another year has passed us by and you will be three years old tomorrow. As I put you to bed tonight, I reminded you that you will sleep as a two-year old for the last time
and that you will be three tomorrow! You told me that you don't like being two and that you prefer to be three. Whether you are two or three, we love you all the same, my dearest.

For some reasons, you were a lot more challenging today and truly you tested my patience several times. I needed to be firm and set boundaries with you even as you said goodbye to terrific two. I
never thought I'll say this but I love you being 2 years old. In fact I started to mourn the loss when you were 2.5 years old. I told you as much and that's when you replied that you prefer to be
three.

While it had been a super intense and emotional year with more frequent outbursts, meltdowns and tantrums, I also get to experience the pure joy of your unconditional love. Furthermore, you truly
come into your own this year, and even as I struggle with your challenging self I enjoy discovering who you are. It has been an eye-opener and I learn so much from you. I know that I am the most
important person in your life at the moment and you want me so much that at times I feel suffocated. However, I remind myself that it is a stage that will pass and to relish it while it lasts.
Thank you for making me feel so so loved and important, darling.

You are a funny, loving, caring, easy-going, creative and lovable child. Your social and emotional intelligence are rather impressive as you are generally good with people. That doesn't mean that
you're always friendly. You choose your audience and when you're comfortable you reveal your true self. I am so thankful that I get to see all sides of you - your lovable and funny side as well
as your difficult and dark side. I am consoled that you feel safe enough with me that you can freely expressed your dark sides as well. I promise that I will always accept who you are and that
you will never fear being the real you when you are with me.

I love to hear you speak and have conversations with you. Your vocabulary has practically exploded sometime around 2.5. I can't quite remember. Suddenly, you spoke in full sentences and your
comprehension was superb. You say the funniest and random things at times. I wish I could remember every single thing that you have said but it's simply not possible. I tried jotting them down
and after a while I just couldn't keep up. Instead, I try to savour them as you say them.

Still there are days (like now) where I wish that i had better memory. You are eloquent and articulate for someone so young. Sometimes, you talk like an adult and I guess that's the consequence
of being surrounded by adults. Your arguments are pretty sound most of the time and your comments are usually appropriate and spot on. We love how expressive you are. When you're happy, it's
written all over your face. And when you're down, I'm thankful that you have the vocabulary to express the feelings adequately. It makes it so much easier for me to tune in and understand you.

You have adjusted well to school and we are grateful for that. The only downside from it is that you've been sick so often and so have I. It's a terrible cycle that we keep passing germs to one
another. Mama certainly hope that your health and immunity will improve as you grow older. While you are a real trooper even when you're sick, it just breaks my heart to see you suffer.

You have a sensitive and loving heart. I have experienced empathy from you numerous time. I remember once I had a bandage on my finger and you wanted one on yours as well. When I am angry, you
can usually tell me why I am upset. Your childcare teacher told me recently that she is thankful to have you in the class as you took upon yourself to take care of a younger new classmate. You
watch out and comfort her when she's crying and also inform Miss V when something is amiss. Remarks like that always make me swell with pride. I too have observed how you are thoughtful towards
younger children, in particular. Once we were in the mother's room and a baby was sleeping in the pram. Another older child had gone near the baby and fearing that she may disturb the little one,
you held her hand, made the sign to keep quiet and led her away.

Ah, you love hotels and travelling, specifically being on the plane. You love Singapore Airline and will proclaim it loudly. Just recalling this made me smile. You've shown more awareness and you
are quite a pro in terms of travelling as you are familiar with the steps; for example the luggage will be checked in, then we will go through immigration, boarding and so on. I love how
adaptable you are and thus far, we have not had major challenges. Even when you were ill, you were still a trooper and enjoyed your flight most of the time. One of the things that impressed us is
how you can generally self-entertain (and entertain us) with your own songs, "musicals" and stories. I love how creative you are and this is something that we really want to harness and cultivate
in you.

Something that I want to record is the pride and joy I felt when I saw you overcome obstacles. We were in a children's playground in Shanghai and I witnessed your persistence, courage and grit.
Mind you, you were in four layers which made it much harder for your mobility and yet you managed. I was most impressed when you persevered to get to the top of a slide. It was literally going
against gravity and with the thick attire, you kept sliding down. Interestingly you went back to that particular structure after playing with other items in the playground and in the end your
persistence paid off. When I saw you at the top of that slide i couldn't contained myself and jumped up and down in joy! I must have looked like an idiot. You looked equally pleased and
accomplished yourself. That day, you overcame your fear and succeeded in climbing/playing 3 structures. So so proud of you!

I feel equally pleased and proud when i see how you show kindness and compassion to other people. Again we witnessed this when you spontaneously gave up your seat on the train for two elderly
aunties in Shanghai. They were so full of praises for your thoughtfulness. Indeed, it is important to be gracious and kind, to be mindful of people who might be in greater need than us. In
our modern hectic life, what I fear is when we stop observing and being mindful of the needs of others because we are too engrossed with ourselves and/or our devices.

Speaking of devices, you have repeated told me to put down my phone when we are together. While it's somewhat embarrassing to talk about this openly, I want you to know that I will work on it.
Thank you for being so patient with me. Some days, i can sense your frustration which is totally legitimate. I hope that I will change this terrible habit soon and that in the coming days, there
isn't a need for you to even verbalise that to me. I am sorry if I had made you feel that my phone is more important than you. However, there are times when mama really need to work and I hope
you'll be forgiving and understanding about it.

What a significant year the past year had been. I know as we journey along this year, there will be more challenges and wonderful experiences in store for us. I hope to savour and embrace all of
it; that I will slow down and cherish the moments that we spend together. I feel so blessed that I can spend significant amount of time watching you grow and to be the first teacher in your life.

Motherhood is very hard on so many different levels. I have doubted if I am cut out for it in the past and I am so thankful that God has blessed us with you. You have helped me grown into my role
with your unconditional love, examples and patience. And I grow to love being your mother. Each day, I thank God for choosing us to be your parents. What a huge responsibility, honour and trust
that He has placed in us.

My dearest Olivia, it saddens me at times when you show little interest to pray or when you refuse to pray with us. Beyond raising you to be a flourishing adult, my ultimate goal is to raise you
to love God. You are God's beloved child and that's your identity. Faith in God is the most important gift that my parents have given me and in the same way, that is what I want to pass on to
you. I sincerely hope that in the coming year I will do a better job in modelling and sharing with you the love that God has for you and for each of us. Your godparents are here to journey with
you as well.

Happy birthday, my love! You are three!!! Always remember that nothing can separate you from our love. There will be times when we fail and fall short but my promise is that I will strive to do
better. Please continue to give me time and opportunities to be a better parent to you. Don't stop teaching me, okay?

Love you to the moon and back. "My delight, you are my delight. Think about you day and night. You are my delight. You are my delight." (This is our song that we've been singing together.)

The past few days we've been talking a lot about the passing of a very important person in Singapore. You have learned that he is the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew ye ye. Yes, he's definitely old enough
to be your ye ye and he has been the ye ye of the entire nation for most part of his life.

A story that mama wants to share with you is that I came to Singapore in 1994 to pursue my education. This was made possible because of ASEAN Scholarship, which is awarded to exceptional students
in ASEAN countries. Mama will always be grateful as I didn't have any other option then. Without the scholarship, I will most likely lead very different life. Here in Singapore, as long as you
are willing to work hard and persevere it is possible to achieve success, however you may choose to define success. Mama will always be grateful for that one opportunity to come to Singapore and
the numerous doors that it opened subsequently, including meeting your Singaporean papa 10 years later.

You will learn and read much about him in time to come. For now, mama wants to share with you what mama has learned (and still learning) from this great leader and what I hope to inculcate and
nurture in you. In my opinion, the best way to honour someone's life is to continue his legacy in our own lives.

1. Be a thinker.

My darling, as you grow older you will be inundated by a lot of views, opinions and thoughts; from school, books, friends, social media and from us your family. As a leader, it is critical that
Mr Lee is crystal clear and laser-focused about what is important, be mindful of the consequences of the decisions that he makes and able to maintain the vision that he has for the country.
He must have practiced critical and strategic thinking all the time. Likewise, we need to sharpen our thinking skill because it is the only defense against our culture of distraction. It is too
easy to be swayed by herd mentality and distracted by what is inconsequential. Deep thinking allows you to know and understand who you are, your values and what truly matters to you in life. It
has been said that "the good life is a by-product of good thinking." As a thinker, you have to make time to ponder over issues, process and analyse information that you have before making your
own judgment and conclusions.

2. Pursue your passion

Take your time to discover what is it that gives you the fire in your belly. Internal motivation will always triumphs external one because you will not need anyone to push you and when obstacles
present themselves you will have the tenacity to overcome them. You want to do it because you believe in it and it gives you meaning and a sense of accomplishment. From his life, it is evident
that Mr Lee's passion were Singapore, his country and relationships. Whatever that he did flowed from his passion in making Singapore successful and maintaining close relationships
especially that with his wife.

3. Authenticity - be true to yourself

If you wish to know if you're being authentic to yourself, ask the following questions - would i do or say the same thing when I am alone? Is there any discrepancy between what I truly believe in
and my behaviours? Am i doing this to please and win others favour or am i doing this because i believe this is what I am called to do? Mr. Lee's life revealed that he was true to his principles
and his beliefs in different aspects of his life, in his career as a stateman and family life as a husband and father. He was never afraid to speak his mind and truth to the people. He walked the
talk and led by example. When you are true to yourself, you have nothing to hide and you can only flourish and prosper.

4. Taking risk

When Mr Lee took the leadership as the first Prime Minister of Singapore, it was a different time and era. It was a tremendous risk and there was no guarantee that Singapore will even succeed.
Despite that, he forged forward and led a group of dedicated people to make things work, by hook or by crook. His stake was enormous and he wasn't afraid of failure. In the same way, you mustn't
be afraid of failure and avoid taking risks, my dear. Take small chances whenever you can. Learn to enjoy failure. Don't be afraid of it. Mama learned this lesson in the last few years myself and it's liberating. Let go of perfectionism. Go for growth
mindset.

5. Persistence, hardiness and grit.

The common essence in the three qualities above is to never give up. This is of utmost importance in life. Without persistence, hardiness and grit, you will not be able to achieve much. Mr Lee's
life exemplified these qualities beautifully and that brought him the accolades and tribute that he deserved today. When something is of utmost importance, one will naturally devote oneself into
it. Consequently, this relates to point one and two above. You've got to know what is it that matters to you. Persistence implies discipline and consistency. Hardiness refers to how we bounce
back when we experience setbacks and challenges in life. Despite roadblock and challenges, we have to persist and soldier on. Grit on the other hand refers to "firmness of character; indomitable spirit." Once you've
worked on harnessing these three qualities, you have a very high chance of succeeding in life.

6. Be a lifelong learner

Mr Lee was a lifelong learner. He continued with his mandarin lessons until the end of his life. He has learned and used six different languages - English, Malay, Latin, Japanese, Mandarin and
Hokkien. It is not necessary that you learn six different languages, my dear but the point is you must be interested in being a lifelong learner.Take interest in different subjects. Pick up a new
knowledge in something that is foreign to you. Learning keeps us humble, makes our brain works harder and allows us to push our own boundaries. Take delight in the process of learning, not
merely focusing on the end goals. Make learning exciting and fun for yourself. Mama has found traveling to be an excellent way to broaden my horizon as I learn and appreciate the culture and
beliefs of other people.

7. Give of yourself in the service of others.

Always remember that the gifts that God has blessed you with are to be shared in the service of others. We enjoy a prosperous and strong country today because a group of people including Mr Lee
decided to give their life in service of the people years ago. They could have chosen other careers that can bring them fame and riches for themselves. Yes, we do have the option of living for
ourselves but that in mama's opinion that would not be meaningful and satisfying. Mama hopes to raise you up as someone who cares deeply about the needs of others especially those who are
marginalized and have no voice. The world needs more people who are compassionate, caring and seek for justice.

I hope to have a long and thoughtful discussion with you one day on what I have written here. You will soon discover that your mama is an idealist. And that's a story for another day. The
following is something from Mr Lee that I feel strongly about and I shall leave it here for us to savour and digest.

"And that is why i feel life is an adventure: exciting, unpredictable and sometimes exhilarating.

What is crucial is never to lose that joie de vivre. That zest of life. To watch the sun go down and wake up to a new day rested and
refreshed after a good night." ~Lee Kuan Yew, 2003

We've just celebrated your birthday party today with mostly mama's friends whose children have become your playmates too. And I am so thrilled when one of your own friends turned up after we have
invited her because I knew how much she meant to you. At a tender age of two, you actually made a friend on your own at the gym and it is mutual! It is really sweet and beautiful to see the two
of you play together. Her mama told me that you are A's first friend just as she is yours.

This highlights what a lovely and friendly child you are. In many circumstances you're usually the first to reach out to other children even though they may be older than you. Your curiosity and
desire to socialise is something that we definitely encourage and nurture. Mama is very pleased that you usually enjoy hanging out with other children.

In general, you are a really sweet and sensitive child. You get along well with both adults and other children. Because of that we thought that you are ready to be in school. Your journey to
formal learning started on January 5, 2015. You did pretty well for someone who has never been apart from your primary caregivers. Mama was both proud and sad. Proud that you're entering another
world where there is so much to learn, new adventures and experiences to pursue on your own with your teachers and friends. Mama needs to learn to let go of my desire to keep you to myself and to
a smaller circle of trusted people where we are your "world". To be perfectly honest, mama is adjusting to the fact that you're in school as much as you are. Perhaps, you are doing better than I
am!

The past one year has been incredible. Your first year was amazing and the second year turned out to be just as exciting. We are often blown away as watch you develop physically, intellectually,
mentally and emotionally. Your determination in overcoming the developmental hurdles is so strong that you teach me what grit is.

I remember vividly the time when you first learn how to flip over, sit up, stand, cruise and walk. You never give up trying. Obstacles simply mean you are gonna try harder. I love that
spirit and I pray that you will always have that in you.

For the record, you first walked independently and confidently on 22 May 2014. You were cruising for the longest time and able to take a couple of steps unassisted. On that particularly day, you
decided to just walk and you did it so beautifully. I can still visualize the look and sense of accomplishment on your face. You were so thrilled and excited! The following day we went to the gym
and again you seemed so amazed that you no longer need to hold on to anything when you walk. You walked with your arms wide open just to test if it were true. You had that joy and glow in you
that was indescribable. Mama is so thankful that I managed to witness and share all these important milestones with you.

As young as you are, you've shown me how you can solve problems. With the goal in mind, you find ways to overcome obstacles and reach your goals. What I've read in books seem to be true for you.
It's just so intriguing for me to observe and witness that in you. You continue to amaze me.

Mama loves to observe and listen to you now since you're communicating so much more. You show that you can understand instructions (you're mama's little helper) and you have your own preferences
and opinions too. I love to hear your thoughts or when you give compliments to us like, "nice". You are mindful of your please and thank you and it warms my heart when you say it to those in the
family without prompting. Your, "thank you kakak" never fails to make our helper feels appreciated and touched. I am very pleased that you don't take things for granted and has already started to
express your gratitude to the people who have cared and loved you.

Today, you expressed that the birthday cake that I have baked for you was nice. You said thank you to mama's friend who has helped to bake and decorate the cake as well. It certainly makes me
feel like we have done something right with you.

My dearest child, you have your dark side as well. When things do not go your way, you tend to bite, pinch and throw a major tantrum. In the last 2-3 months, the intensity of your tantrum has
escalated. Mama understands that this is a normal developmental stage for you where you learn to assert your own preferences and ideas while you don't really have the physical and mental capacity
to understand what's going on. Night terror is something else that has been plaguing us as well although we are grateful that the frequency has reduced.

When mama first heard from your teacher that you've been misbehaving in the second week of school by pushing/biting/bullying your classmates, I was sad and perplexed. You have never exhibited the
tendency to hurt or bully other children when we were out in social events. In fact, you show compassion and empathy towards others. This was not consistent with the child that we have gotten to
know. Thankfully, after some firm actions by the teacher and reinforcement at home, you are behaving much better now. Mama hopes that you continue to remain engaged and inspired in school and
love learning and not be driven into boredom and the need to behave negatively in order to seek attention.

Letting you grow also means that I have to learn to accept your choices. Rather, I need to empower you to trust in your own choices by respecting you. For the past several weeks, mama has stopped
being your number one and it was such a bitter pill to swallow. You no longer wanted me to do things for you. You have your own clear preference and despite knowing the fact that I was sad, you
were clear with your choice. I couldn't get you to change your mind. But when you said to me that," "when mama is sad, baby is sad"

I knew that I am not to force you against your wishes. That despite knowing that i was not happy with your choice, you went ahead with it because that's what you really wanted.

This is such an important lesson for mama to learn. Mama didn't grow up with that sort of confidence. Mama grew up feeling that I had to obey and please others in order to get approval. Hence,
watching you reacting differently has been a new experience for me. It is refreshing. I am really proud and pleased that you don't succumb to pressure. It also helps also that in the past week,
you've started to want to be with mama more and mama knows that I am still important to you. It totally sucks to feel that mama can be redundant in your life. That was a truly scary thought.

My dearest child, as much as mama will always miss your baby days, I want you to know how proud and pleased I am that you are the amazing child that you are today. Your energy, sense of
curiousity and wonderment, love and care for others has certainly impressed me. Your ability to connect with different members of the family and making each one pays attention to you reflects
your remarkable understanding of social skills. I hope we will continue to nurture what is good in you.

Please do not ever forget that we love you very dearly. While we need to discipline and teach you what is right and wrong, you are never the issue. In you, i see what God has intended each of us
to be - the image of God Himself. That each of us is good and worthy of love. There is nothing that you need to prove. Our love is a given, it's not something that you need to earn. May you
always remain deeply secure in our and God's love for you.

On your second birthday, mama's wish for you is that you remain healthy, adventurous and open to new experiences. More importantly, you get to know more of God, the one who has gifted you to us.
More than our child, you are God's beloved child and that is your identity. May we, your parents and godparents serve as a worthy mirror of God to reflect His steadfast and unchanging love to
you. Pray with us that God will grant us the wisdom to guide and teach you in His ways. "Peacecyou" :)

Happy second birthday my dearest baby! We are so thankful for the gift of you.

The first time my little one swam in a big pool. This was in Dec 2013 in Bali.

We brought our little one for swimming in the public pool today. The picture shows her more than a year ago when she had her first dip in the water. Throughout the past year, her exposure to
water was limited BabySpa with occasional dip in the private pool.

Witnessing her at the public pool today, I found learning moments from my almost 2 year old.

1. It is okay to be afraid. Go into the water anyway.

As she grows older, my little girl seems to have developed a slight fear for water. She would grab tightly unto us when we go into the water. Still she would try to manage her fear and never said
no or cry. I think that is the definition of "courage". Indeed, "I learned that courage was not the
absence of fear, but the triumph over it" ~ Nelson Mandela.

2. Know your own limit.

As this was the first time O has been in a pool with so many features, the crowd and stimulation was
rather overwhelming. We exposed her to different things in the hope of finding out what she prefers. Hence, she sat in her "boat" as we went around the water features. Eventually, she
verbalised that she would like to push the "boat" as she went about in the water. I find this an important skill to learn - understanding yourself and knowing what sort of risk you're willing to
take. This lesson is not only applicable in swimming but life as well.

3. Dare to make your preference known.

When we wanted her to try to swim using the arm floats (instead of sitting in the float), she was able
to articulate her preference that she wanted to sit in it. I think that the key to having children who are able to express their preferences and own views is to know that they will be heard in
the first place. I am thankful that we have created a safe environment for her to know that her voice is important and she can also express her views even if they differ from what we want.

There are five elements: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment or PERMA.

Positive Emotions

There is no shortage of positive emotions when you're raising a developing and growing child especially in the earliest year. The past year saw Olivia evolving from a baby who learned to crawl as
we closed the year to someone who clearly has a mind of her own, able to articulate her preference and exert her influence. That process of witnessing her development fills me with a myriad of
positive emotions including awe, joy, gratitude, hope, inspiration, amusement, serenity and interest. The increased positive emotions serves to sustain me when the going gets rough, which is par for the course when you're raising a young
child.

There have been many new shared experiences with the hubby as we explored new places to eat (our passion) and visit together with our daughter. Creating new rituals bond us closer to each other
as we learn what is important to us as a family.

The main difference between living in the US and coming back to Singapore is the extensive social support that I have. I have been able to reconnect with old friends from different stages of my
life, makes new ones through new interest that I have as well as keeping in touch with my extended family via technology.

Engagement

I am totally engaged in my role as the mother of my child. She keeps me on my toes and there is never a dull moment, mostly challenging, frustrating and exasperating ones in addition to those
wonderful moments described above. Still, these moments are important for my personal growth, as I continue to learn to navigate my role as a mother and the learning never ceases.

There certainly is high engagement in terms of my working life even as I gradually transition from a full-time to a part-time working mother. I am very blessed to find like-minded partners who
appreciate my strengths and interests that we took a major leap of faith and incorporated a company called W3ave in early April this year. We are passionate about weaving flourishing relationships in different aspects of life and you will hear more about us in
the coming year for sure.

I count myself very blessed to have bosses who value my work, life experiences and expertise that I found myself back in my role as a therapist for individual and couples at Promises shortly after my return to Singapore.

Relationships

It has been said and the evidence is plentiful that people with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. With more time and closer proximity to people who
matter to me, I have been able to invest in building a strong social network and strengthen my tribe.

Being at home allows me to spend time with my immediate family. Seeing how Olivia bonds with the extended family truly warms my heart. She knows who are the people that she can depend on in
addition to her papa and mama.

In April, I was able to go on an all-girlfriend/bestie trip with my closest of friends. These girls have been my pillar for more than 20 years. Despite the distance, they have been my anchor and
voice of reason. We have journeyed with one another through various life stages and I can only thank God for blessing me with each of them.

Throughout the year, i have met up with friends from different stages of my life, from secondary to high school friends to university, to ex-colleagues, blog friends and new friends that I have
gotten to know through my interest in babywearing.

It's so wonderful to have friends who are in similar life stages and that our children can have playdates together. We can share our motherhood joys and woes, provide the listening and
non-judgmental ears. My friends children become Olivia's playmates even though she is often the younger ones.

I love that we had many visitors that come to Singapore this year and we got the chance to visit good friends in Sydney when we visited in October.

As a married couple, we have also worked hard to ensure that marriage is flourishing. With the demands that comes from work and raising young child, marital relationship often takes a backseat.
We made effort this year reconnect as couple, not just as parents of our child. We attended a marital course that allowed us to evaluate where we are in our relationship and what we can do to
strengthen it. We also went on our first couple trip and it was refreshing to just focus on each other.

Relationship with myself is also important and that's something that has also taken a backseat since the arrival of Olivia. Hence, i made the hard to decision to go on a silent retreat that took
me away from the family for about a week. It was truly a special time to reconnect with God and myself and it was a great way to end the year. It helps me to refocus and prioritize what is
important to me and help me to move in the right direction in the coming year.

Meaning

I am strongly driven by meaning in life. One of the reasons why I started this blog in 2011 is because I wanted to share my story and reach out to others as well as raise awareness for
Moya Moya Disease. I am very glad that this year I managed to meet and provided support to a
handful of moya-moya sufferers in person. Sharing my story and experience with them reminded me of how blessed I am to be in this position. It makes what i had gone through more worthwhile as I
am able to inspire hope, information and support.

In the five years that I was in the US, I have been preparing myself by attending relevant courses, conferences and self-learning with the hope to better equip myself as a helping professional. I
have enjoyed the learning process and it's very exciting to be able to translate them into actions. I am thankful that I found a profession that accords me the flexibility that I need as a mother
and at the same time utilizing my signature strengths and expertise. That is truly meaningful to me!

Accomplishments

The following are the accomplishments that I am proud of for the year:

Being Olivia's first teacher and witnessing how she has transformed and flourished in the last 12 months.

Smooth transition back to Singapore after more than five years of living in the Bay Area.

Transition back to work and the opportunities that came knocking.

Setting up my own company with like-minded and most competent partners.

Being able to reach out to friends who are in need.

Travel to Osaka, Sibu (Malaysia), Sydney and Taipei with a toddler! The logistic!

Taking charge and actions to improve our marriage.

Ticking off my bucket list list of attending a silent retreat (something that I wanted to do for at least 7 years already.)

I am very grateful for 2014 and all the lessons that I have learned. Looking forward to the new year with much positivity and anticipation.

Thank you for reading and supporting this blog. Come, let's flourish together!

Can it be that seven years have passed since the second brain bypass operation and the stroke that accompanied it?

Yes, anotheranniversary is here and as I look back and reflect on the years that have passed, I am filled with gratitude and amazement. It literally was a second lease of life
for me.

Here are the lessons that I have learned since then.

1. Faith is very important. Faith in God, in myself and in others. Other than my own training as a Psychologist, faith was and is the keeper and sustainer of my life. When the future looks bleak,
faith reminds me to hang on just for another day. And faith has not failed me.

2. Opportunities present themselves when one dares to take risks. Since young, I have always been fearful of failure. That has prevented me from taking risks and it perpetuated itself like a
vicious cycle.

In 2011 I decided to overcome my fear by embarking on a big project, my happiness project so to speak. I combined two of my loves - sharing and writing and that brought about the birth of
Winifred & You: Flourishing Together.

I was filled with terror in the weeks leading up to the launch and the following few months. Putting oneself out there was very hard to do and when I did not get the response that I desired or
the statistic showed a super low readership, I was disappointed and doubted myself.

It was truly an exercise of vulnerability; putting myself out there simply because I believe my voice and the messages that I like to share are important.

I persisted. I took it as a lesson in "enjoying failure", a concept that I was reading about. The journey was still hard but it did get better.

Three years on (happy anniversary to me!) the rewards for putting myself out there have been gratifying. I managed to reach out to other Moya Moya Disease patients and offer my help and support,
which was my primary goal.

I have also been approached to be a Wizpert. Even though I haven't had much bandwith to update my blog
regularly, I still receive emails from readers from time to time. Recently, theasianparent.com offered me the wonderful opportunity to sit on their panel of experts. I feel immense gratitude at the opportunties given to me.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained is absolutely true.

3. Nourish your tribe because they are the people whom you can draw support, love and help from no matter
where you are and what life circumstances you may be in. I am thankful that I have always been dilligent in keeping in touch with my friends. In return, I have received so much more.

4. The attitude of gratitude does work if you bother to practice it. The power of positivity should not be undermined. With God's grace I managed to keep my spirit up and I was pretty positive throughout the entire
ordeal. I believe that was one reason why I had the presence and clarity of mind to make the necessary decisions even though they were difficult.

5. Man proposes and God disposes and life is full of surprises. We planned and tried for a baby for couple
of years and nothing happened. When it did, we were consumed by a myriad of feelings - joy, anxiety, fear of the unknown, hope. On hindsight, we acknowledge that man can only proposes and it is
up to God to turn it into reality at the right time and place. This theme has repeated so many times in my life that I have no choice but to be convinced of it.

6. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Truth truth truth! Prior to my brain surgeries, what I feared most was getting a massive stroke. The thing is I did get a stroke (multiple strokes
actually) and it was massive enough that it affected my cognitive functioning.

Yes, the rehabilitation was painful and till date, I am still impaired in my right peripheral visual field. It's hard for me to do basic math and calculations and I can't retain new facts very
well.

The challenge that I face is that I look perfectly normal outwardly and yet whenever I find myself in situation where I am unable to function, I feel handicapped.

I never expected myself to be a stroke survivor (no one does i guess) but I am proud and thankful of how far I have come.

7. One needs to practice kindness and self-compassion. This is so important because life is full of
challenges and we can't always be perfect. When we fail, it is important to learn to forgive and be kind. There are also many situations where we feel helpless as our loved ones go through
suffering. In such moments, the only thing that we can do is to extend compassion for the frightened child within us.

8. The world is so so Big! In the 5 plus years where we made United States of America our home, we have travelled extensively, visited so many different places and experienced so much. Our life
was enriched by what money cannot buy. It inspires us to pursue our love for travelling and to share it with our daughter.

Happy 7th anniversary to me! All glory and praise be to God.

P.S. As I write this post, my thought turns towards someone who is going through what I did 7 years ago. I hope this piece brings you hope and I wish you all the very best.

To all Moya Moya and/or stroke patients everywhere, you are not alone.

P.S.S. To all my faithful readers, thank you so so much for your support. I hope to get back to writing soon and I'll certainly appreciate your continual support. Come, let's flourish together!

You are gonna be ONE tomorrow. What a monumental milestone for you and for us.

This has been such a momentous year filled with a myriad of feelings; from being overwhelmed to overjoyed and everything in between.

From the time mama first held you, I have fallen in love with you. Each day as I get to know you better, my love and admiration for you increases.

Mama learns so much from you; how you work really hard at learning new skills and hitting developmental milestones; how sweet and sensitive you are to the people around you; how you always manage
to charm and capture the heart of those who meet you for the first time, how resilient and adaptable you are and most of all how curious, open and calm you are by nature.

When you smile or laugh, it is simply infectious. You truly laugh from your heart.

When you manage to learn a new skill, we explode with joy upon seeing that look of accomplishment on your face.

When you struggle and work so hard at perfecting the skill, it reminds mama to also be patient and keep trying and be better as well.

Who would have thought that a baby who is not even one is capable of being such a great teacher?

I thank God for the gift of you every single day. As you turn in for the night, I will spend some time simply looking at your beautiful face sleeping. In the silent of my heart, I whisper a big
thank you to God for bring you into our lives. I feel extremely honoured and humbled that God has chosen me to be your mama.

I like to think that I must have done something good in my life that God brought you into my life. Upon deeper reflection, I realise that I was wrong. I haven't done anything to deserve you. God
decides that I need you in my life so that I can continue to grow as a person and in particular as your mother.

What a marvelous year this has been. The fond memories from your first year will be forever etched in my heart.

So my darling Olivia, mama's wish for you is that you will never lose your sense of identity as the beloved child of God. Continue to have the courage to explore the world and discover who you
are and who you want to be. You have shown yourself to be such a strong fighter and I know there is so much more in you that are still hidden, waiting to be nurtured and honed.

Know that mama and papa will always be here for you through every season of your life. We will walk with you to the highest height and the lowest pit, praying that we will have the wisdom,
patience and grace to guide you along the way.

Happy first birthday my sweetest child. May God continue to bless you with good health, wisdom and grace. You are so so loved. Never ever forget how important and precious you are to us.

I decided to use this particular shot to wish all of you a very happy and blessed New Year 2014! It captures our baby's spunky and joyful personality and just as it brings a big smile to me, I
hope it does to you too.

From our little family to the bigger family of Winifred & You, may this New Year bring great promises, love and opportunities to flourish.

The past year was all about adjusting to being a mother. I didn't have much energy left to do anything else.

This year, I aim to spend a little bit more time doing things that I enjoy; in particular to share my experience, reflections and knowledge through blogging.

So, thank you so much for your ongoing support despite the lack of posts and updates. In due time, I hope to relaunch this website and furnish it with relevant, thoughtful and useful content
especially in living a purposeful, positive and flourishing life. I look forward to your fervent support.

Another three months have passed with you in our lives. What amazing and joyful time it has been for us. No wonder some people dub the period between four to six month as the golden period. How
true. I truly enjoy this stage and cherish every moment.

This is the time when you started to become more aware of your surrounding, you coo, chuckle, squeal and laugh in delight. We try hard every day to amuse you just to get a response out of you.
And when you do, mama's heart explodes with indescribable joy and all's right with the world.

Recently, mama did your very first photo book. As I was looking through your newborn pictures, it brought back many fond memories. Noting how much you have grown and changed over the last few
months reminds me to savour every moment. From sleeping much of the time, you have morphed into a relatively active baby who is so full of curiosity and life.

You give us your toothless smile (which is oh so cute) in the morning when you wake up. You chuckle and laugh when you're in the mood. You love it when we have visitors and you like to be part of
the group. When we sing, dance and perform, you show your delight.

Physically, you have become much stronger. Kicking your legs seem to be one of your favourite activities. Your kick can be quite strong and powerful for someone small like you. You've learned to
play with the mobiles on the activity mat and rocker. You no longer just sat there and watch.

Mama is very glad to witness the changes before my eyes each day. Sometimes, it is so subtle and happens so fast that I can't be sure if it's a new skill that you're showing me. That's how rapid
your development is.

For a period of time, you enjoy smacking your lip, clicking your tongue and winking. Since birth, you're not one who needs the pacifier to comfort yourself. You'd much rather suck your own
fingers. Sometimes you try to stuff your entire fist into your mouth. It's quite cute to watch. These are some of the things that you've learned in your fourth month.

Thanks to you, mama celebrated her first mother's day in May. Becoming a mum is a dream come true. Having a baby as sweet as you is beyond my
wildest dream. Mama is so thankful for the gift of motherhood and I just love being your mama.

Just to illustrate how sweet and kind you are, you slept through the night for the very first time a week before Mother's Day! How wondeful to clock in extra sleep.

Within the same month, there were two other highlights.

First, you received your US passport. Yay! Due to some mistake, the application for your passport was delayed and we were concerned that it may not be ready in time for your first trip to
Singapore in June.

Secondly, we had another photoshoot
for you and you were such a pro. From the start to the end, it took us only 40 minutes with four changes of clothes. The photographer was truly impressed with how easy you were.

Oh yes, in early June you started to laugh and chuckle. It brings such delight to us that we try hard to make you laugh whenever possible. We are not always successful. Yet it did not deter us
from trying. Once, you burst out laughing quite randomly. All of us in the room couldn't help but laughed along with you! Your laughter is super infectious, my darling.

Few weeks before our trip to Singapore, mama started to feel anxiety rising. Mama was worried about hundred and one things. Will you be okay on the flight? How are you going to respond to jet
lag? How is the trip gonna mess up your schedule? Et cetera, et cetera.

The anxiety was not all bad as it prompted us to prepare ourselves. I started to carry you in the sling more to practise as I foresee that's how I'll be bringing you around. The bonus is it was a
great way to get you to nap.

The day arrived and you took your first long haul flight at the grand age of 21 weeks on June 14.

What we noticed was that you seemed to be aware that it was not an ordinary day. You were alert and excited. From the moment we took the cab till we reach the airport, all through the check in
and security you were awake. And you didn't fuss! It was only when we were about to board that you started to fuss because you were hungry.

Because you were so hungry and tired, you dozed off after a quick feed just before the take off. Consequently, we didn't manage to get you to suck on the pacifier to equalize. Shortly after, you
realised something was not right and woke up crying when we were up in the air. Thankfully you took to the pacifier and that calmed you down. To our surprise, you slept for five to six hours
straight after that.

You are a great traveler and we are so very proud of you, baby.

Here's an important lesson that I learn. Whenever I feel worried and anxious about you, I remind myself that I need to assume strength in you rather than weakness. That you can cope and we will
be there for you to help soothe and comfort you. The bottomline is you will be fine. Indeed, many of my concerns were unfounded because you're a calm, open and adaptable baby.

When we reached Singapore, you seemed to realise that it is a new place and I saw that curiosity in your eyes again. We made it! Singapore is your home too and there are so many people who have
been waiting to meet you in person.

I can see that you enjoyed your time in Singapore tremendously where life was so much more exciting with lots of new faces and people giving you tonnes of attention. We've always known that
you're a social baby and truly you're in your element around people. Always generous with your smile, you endear yourself to those who meet you for the first time quite easily.

On hindsight, your first trip to Singapore was most eventful. In the first week that we were there, it was unfortunate that we experienced a terrible haze and the PSI readings hit a record high of more than 400, which is hazardous for health. Thankfully, the situation
improved subsequently.

Second incident was we got stuck in the elevator for several minutes at a mall! Of course, you were none the wiser as your aunt and I kept as calm as we could so as not to alarm you. That
same day, you showed us how adaptable you were. As we were out, we couldn't find a baby room in time and your milk turned cold. You usually like it warm but in time of need, you adapt! Well done,
sweetheart.

The third incident was a huge one. The day we arrived back in the Bay Area was the day when Asiana Crash
occurred. We received the news from the captain that the airport was close about 45 minutes before landing. Consequently, we had to reroute and ended up waiting in Sacramento airport for
several hours.

Even the adults were getting restless being stuck in a plane, not knowing whether we could get home that day. Also we were running out of milk for you! Thank God, the airport opened and we
managed to get home within the day. It was the longest flight ever for us and you were such a trooper that you still managed to smile for mama at the end of the long ordeal.

Couple of weeks before our trip to Singapore, you started to spit up more regularly. This worsened while you were in Singapore and you threw up almost every other day. Your feeding pattern
changed as well. You fed poorly and mama couldn't help but be concerned. Still you remained cheerful and unperturbed even when you were throwing up. I supposed it's true that this is more of a
laundry problem rather than a real problem. It has improved since we are back but you still spit up several times a week. Hope this won't last too long.

The day after we were back, we noticed that you managed to hold your head up in the car seat. Hurray! You've achieved good head control. Another developmental milestone that we thought you hit
was turning from front to back, while you were in Singapore. You managed to do it three times in a row.

However since then, you have not been able to repeat it totally. Papa and mama notice that you try really hard during tummy time to turn and it clearly frustrates you when you can't.

We want to commend you for trying hard, my darling. This is an important trait that we like to nurture in you. There is no hurry for you to turn, crawl or walk. We don't need you to hit the
milestones right on target especially since you were born earlier. Take your time and continue to work hard and you will get there eventually.

At your sixth month check up, your doctor was really pleased with your growth and overall health. We are very very pleased too in addition to feeling extremely grateful. You are now a robust,
healthy and happy baby, very different from the tiny baby we held in our arms more than six month ago. You look different too. It always warm my heart when I see the same facial expressions that
you've had since birth.

My sweet baby, you are such a gift to us. When I look at you, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful and wonderful you are. Even at this young age, you exude so much love. You demonstrate your
love openly and these are the moments that I live for.

One incident that I don't want to forget. One particular afternoon, you were hanging out with papa while mama took a nap. When I picked you up after the nap, you looked and smiled at me with so
much love as though you're saying, "I've missed you mama and I am so glad to see you."

Yes, motherhood is difficult, physically exhausting and monotonous but when you smile or laugh, you make it worthwhile. You also give me the burst of energy to keep going and do better. There is
still so much that mama needs to learn on this journey and I thank you for being so patient with me. Mama prays that she too will be patient with herself and persevere to give her all to you.

Mama also learn to appreciate the moment with you. There were many times when you laughed so heartily that I wanted to take my phone and record it for memory's sake. Interestingly, you were not
quite willing to repeat your performances. I learn that I should just enjoy that moment with you instead of capturing it.

Baby girl, each day we thank God for choosing us to be your parents. What a great privilege this is. We look forward to more of you, knowing that you will continue to surprise and amaze us. You
are our sunshine and you make the world more wonderful simply by being in it. Continue to grow well and be healthy dear baby.

You are beautiful and stunning just the way you are. Papa and mama love you dearly.

This pot of orchid was given to me when I gave birth to my daughter. Not one with green finger, the plant died a few weeks after it has blossomed.
Or so I thought.

We left the pot at the balcony, intending to clear it when we have the time.

Unknowingly, my nanny has been watering this pot from time to time.

Her effort bore fruit because few days ago she spotted several buds on the branch. Excitedly, she moved the plant indoor. It has been such a pleasure to watch each bud blossoms the past week.

I am impressed by two things and these are lessons that I want to remember and share with you today.

Firstly, the resilient of the flower. While it's not exactly a miracle, I truly did not expect it to bloom again. Especially when it was completely neglected when we were away for about three
weeks. Yet, it survived. Correction. It did not only survive but it blooms.

Secondly, my nanny's persistence. She kept on watering the plant for more than five months even when there was no sign to suggest that it will bloom. That kind of endurance is admirable. All
credit goes to her that we get to enjoy this gorgeous orchid today.

Perhaps you're in a situation where you feel that your effort is futile. My wish is that you will find hope in this simple story. Sometimes, we just need to do our part consistently. And when we
least expect it we receive our sweet rewards. Don't give up.

Credit: Rhonda Giedt Photography. My gorgeous baby. It still feels surreal to know that she is mine. Thanks to her, I get to enjoy motherhood.

"Parenting is a kaleidoscope; the picture shifts with each turn of your wrist, with each change of light. What you see depends on how long you linger on a given moment."

The above statements are excellent starting point for my post today. The more I reflect on them, the more convicted I am of its truth in my own parenting journey.

Before I became a mother, the picture that I focused on filled me with self-doubt, fear and anxiety. Even though it has always been a dream of mine to become a mother, I struggled with a deep
ambivalence about it for a long time. That's why I thought I might freak out if I found myself to be pregnant. To my surprise, I didn't.

What I had zoomed in was what what I needed to give up and deny myself of when I become a mum. I've heard that parenthood is all about death. Death of the person I used to be, the carefree spirit
who had no one else depending on her. It's also the death of leisure time and spontaneity. In short, parenthood means making pretty major sacrifices. Worst of all, it's a commitment that lasts
till death do us part. Wow, that's a tall order and I wasn't sure if I was up to it.

Another contributing factor to my fear is the fact that I have always been rather awkward around young children. The background for this is that I am the youngest in both my immediate and
extended family. Growing up, I didn't have the chance to interact with other children and I have always been a serious child. I have no idea how to interact with young kids.

On the other hand, I love babies because they are so fascinating and adorable. I can spend a long time watching them and because they don't really need me to interact with them actively, we can
hang out silently. Until they cry of course and that's the time to return the babies to their parents.

Yet, there is a voice that tells me in my heart that I am called to married and family life since I was in my early twenties. It took me a while to find my husband and subsequently our journey
towards parenthood was filled with challenges after challenges that inevitably I wondered if this vocation would become a reality.

In spite of my uncertainty and ambivalence, I started preparing for motherhood long before I was pregnant. When I turned 30, I started reading parenting and
child development books. I even blogged about them even though I was hardly qualified.

Whatever I lacked in natural ability, I hope I could make it up by equipping myself with knowledge. I also searched for a suitable OBGYN who is familiar with Moyamoya Disease and went for various vaccinations and ate healthily in order to prepare my body. I wanted to be ready when the baby decided to pop in. At the same
time, I surrounded myself with my friends' children and practised interacting with them.

On hindsight, even though I wasn't absolutely sure if motherhood was for me, it didn't deter me from doing what was necessary to prepare myself for that eventuality. I realised much later that I
really did want to be a mother and when our efforts failed so many times, my heart broke.

What a journey this has been and here I am celebrating my very first Mother's Day this weekend. I feel truly honoured that God decided to entrust us with the massive responsibility of raising
Olivia. I am also very grateful that He knows best and gave us our daughter when we are ready. The wait for her was definitely worth it.

Motherhood has positively transformed and enlarged my heart. I didn't even know I was capable of loving someone with such a visceral feeling that it continues to astonish me. I also discover that
I am willing to transcend previous boundaries and move out of my comfort zone because my daughter needs me to. Whatever fear I had previously about feeling resentful of the burden of my
responsibility was unfounded. The truth is when you love, the burden stops being one; rather it becomes a privilege that you cherish.

I finally understood what people meant when they say parenthood is a crucible that not only changes you but also shows you what you're truly capable of handling. It is a phoenix process for sure.

This is not to say that motherhood has been a bed of roses for me. Hardly and I do not expect it to be. It requires deep commitment and the willingness to keep going regardless of the
circumstance.

My lifestyle has changed significantly and it's much less exciting than it used to be. One day blends into the next and everyday is much of the same as I chug along. Still, I know this is what I
have signed up for when i wanted to become a mother.

What I couldn't see before becoming a mum is the unqualified love and absolute trust that my daughter has in me. Her love is unconditional and she doesn't care if I was experienced or not in
caring her. All she cares about is that I respond to her. It touches me when I am able to comfort and put her at ease. That I have the power to do so still blows my mind.

The great thing about parenting that I have discovered is that every now and then, I get a random burst of joy that leaves me breathless. For instance, when I look at my daughter sleeping
peacefully. Or when she holds my hand and looks at me with such love and trust. No words are adequate to describe those moments and they make every sacrifice and death worthwhile.

Now that I am a mother, I wish to tell my younger self that the ambivalence that she had was important. As Harriet Lerner says in her book, The Mother Dance, to be a mother is to
have profoundly ambivalent feelings. The decision to have children should not be taken haphazardly. Yet, this decision ultimately involves a great leap of faith as there are so many
unknown variables that one cannot control.

Parenthood is tedious yet unpredictable, demanding yet ever changing. It is a never-ending journey down the river of love and worry. The most important thing that I have learned is that I need to
embrace every part of the experience, the good and the bad in equal measure keeping in mind that this too shall pass.

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers as well as those who are in motherly role. Thank you for your important contribution and sacrifice.

I feel that I need to speak up and raise the awareness that there are mothers who are not able to breastfeed their babies totally despite their best intentions and utmost efforts. Support should
be given to them, not harsh judgments or patronizing words.

One day, I had a meltdown of sort at the hospital and the pediatrician on duty shared with me that she too couldn't breastfeed her child. That comforted and helped me feel less
alienated. I am grateful to her and hope to pay it forward. If you're a mom who desires to breastfeed your baby but can't, I write this with you in mind, dear sister.

My position on breastfeeding

To begin I like to state my position upfront that I am pro-breastfeeding. I believe that "breast is best". Thus, I hoped with all my might that I could give my daughter "the best". At the same
time, I do not believe that "formula is poison" either since I grew up perfectly fine and I was a formula-fed baby.

I believe that breastfeeding is not for everyone as I have friends who faced great
challenges in breastfeeding their babies and they ended up beating themselves up and suffered greatly. Given my background as a mental health professional, I know that maternal mental health is
very important because a stressed out and depressed mother is not good for the baby.

Consequently, I told myself when I was pregnant that I would give my best shot and should I fail, I would accept it gracefully.

The reality

Despite having this firm belief, the truth is I beat myself up, felt like a failure, inadequate and ashamed that I couldn't produce sufficient milk for my daughter. More so since she is a preterm
baby and would strongly benefit from breast milk. It seems as though I am hardwired to feel this way because I remember feeling super frustrated with myself for beating myself up like that.

My circumstance

The circumstance surrounding the birth of my baby was far from ideal. First, she was born at 32 weeks and I didn't even get to see her when she was born,
much less to place her at my breast for her to nurse. Also, she was not able to suckle then. I started pumping several hours after her birth and followed a schedule to the best of my ability.
Unfortunately, my own health crises interrupted the schedule as my blood pressure skyrocketted two days after her birth.

Instead of resting and focusing on recovering from the surgery, I was also under tremendous amount of stress and shock as I confronted the reality and implication of my daughter's prematurity. We
didn't have much support as none of our family members could come and help out. This resulted in me not eating and resting very well.

After I was discharged from the hospital, we shuttled back and forth from the hospital and home and I could barely keep up with the pumping schedule. Exhausted, I did my best. I tried different
types of schedule as well starting with the three-hourly pumping, cluster and power pumping. Nothing worked. When Olivia was ready to suckle, I placed her at
the breast but because of the low volume, she got frustrated quickly.

Enter the galactogues

As a guideline for milk production, I was told that milk usually comes in after five days and that after seven days, the estimated amount is about 300 to 500 ml. In my case, after eight days, I
only produced a grand total of 2.6 ml (after 7-8 sessions of 20 minute pumping).

Using a syringe, I collected my milk drop by drop. I started with a 1-ml syringe and went up to 5 ml and eventually used the bottle. I couldn't use the bottle initially because the amount was so
meager that I felt super demoralised and depressed.

Also, I was using the hospital-grade pump that I rented and I hand-expressed after I have pumped. Each pumping session lasted me about 40 minutes when I was done. One lactation consultant
actually told me that I worked too hard when she found out.

I started taking galactogues after a week to help increase the supply. Every morning I had oatmeal for breakfast, drank copious amount of water and lactation tea. The nanny made lots of
nutritious soups that have worked for many mothers she knew. She asked me each day if I had more milk and I had to disappoint her each time.

I tried different brands of lactation tea that have received wonderful testimonies of their effectiveness. I was hopeful. After finishing three to four packets of tea, my milk supply did increase
but the amount was barely sufficient. The volume increased to 20-30 ml for the entire day. I also finished two bottles of fenugreek and started on several courses of domperidone. The latter did
help to increase the supply and I am still taking them today.

I don't know of anyone who won't be demoralised when she looked at the amount produced on the left picture. I couldn't help but cried. It's even worse when I accidentally spilled whatever little
amount that I had collected. I had several incidents of meltdown that were related to breast milk and my poor husband became the punching bag. It was ugly.

Still I persist. Instead of pumping 7-8 times, I reduced the number to 6 because I noticed that regardless of the frequency that I pumped, the amount was comparable. I knew then that my problem
has a primary cause as it has not responded well to any of the interventions. Still I persist.

On day 90, I was getting more milk (relative to what I had in the beginning) but they were still in the 60-80 ml range in total. That's the amount that I feed my baby everyday, which is about 10
percent of her total feed right now. Hence, I always maintain that my breast milk is the supplement to the formula.

I remember vividly the look of shock and horror on my OBGYN's face when i told her that I only managed to produce 1 ounce of milk after 6 weeks. She breathed easier when I said Olivia is on
formula as well.

I am grateful that my daughter has formula to drink. Had she depended on my breast milk alone, she would have starved to death. Some may think that I set myself up for failure when I started
Olivia on formula. But what other choices do I have when I only had drops of milk in the first few weeks?

Lessons learned

I am still pumping today and it's day 103. Looking back, I am glad that I gave breastfeeding a shot and lasted this long. I have set a date to return the breast pump and I may or may not continue
with a hand pump or hand expression. I don't know yet. I am just gonna take one day at a time for now.

This entire episode taught me important lessons. As a high achiever, I always believe in working hard to achieve my goals. I worked hard in this case, yet the outcome is not within my control. It
was most humbling. Related to this lesson is that I should not always focus on the quantity. Most lactation consultants have reminded me that whatever amount that I can give to my daughter is
better than none.

I am also raised to believe in efficiency. What I was doing was completely inefficient. Imagine spending 25 minutes to produce 10-15 ml of milk each time. That's only half an ounce. I struggled
with this a lot and wondered if I could have used my time better. I decided that it was not a waste of time. Here's an encouraging quote from a book I read:

"It is not about how much milk you were able to produce or how long you were able to breastfeed. It is about the commitment you made to give your baby the best start in life and the
tremendous effort you put into pursuing that goal."

Because of the indoctrination that breast is best, I lose the perspective that motherhood is much bigger than feeding your child breast milk. While it is true that the bonding derived from
breastfeeding is incomparable, I can still bond with my child in many ways. What is of greater importance is that I have the capacity in my heart and head to provide, care, love and respect her.
To do that effectively I need to take care of my own wellbeing. No one can do that for me.

I only found out about lactation failure and the condition called Hypoplasia or
Insufficient Glandular Tissue recently, which I suspect is what I have. Truthfully, it gave me much relief. It's weird that none of the lactation consultants mentioned this to me. Perhaps
they didn't want it to be a discouragement to new mothers.

Given that this condition affects only a minority of women, there is a lack of awareness and knowledge about it. I presume mothers who have successfully breastfed their babies would not be aware
of this condition. To mothers who believe that all women can breastfeed, I feel the need to assert that it is not true. When this is the only truth that one preaches, it isolates those who have
been afflicted.

Finally, I learn to appreciate my body and give thanks for it. Initially, I felt like my boobs have failed me. But on hindsight, I realise that my breasts and entire body have supported me
through this ordeal and I need be grateful. I have subjected my breasts to all sorts of painful manipulation. Also, they did provide some valuable milk for me to offer to my daughter. I am
reminded to appreciate and take better care of my body.

In part two of this post, I like to share some of the coping strategies that have helped me. Please do stay tuned for it.

Please share this post with anyone you know who may be struggling with this issue. Sharing is caring. Spread kindness and understanding, not judgment and criticism to all mothers, whether they
breastfeed or not.

How far you have come my darling. You have brought so much joy from the moment you were conceived and all through the first three months of your life. Thank you for loving us.

Dearest baby,

You have been in our lives for more than three months now. What a privilege it is to watch you grow and be a critical part of that process.

Many things have happened in the short period of time that it feels as though you have been in our lives for much longer than that. Let mama relive some of the important highlights with you.

First month:For one so small you seem so strong

This line from the song, You'll be in my heart describes how I feel about you, my darling. Tipping at 1.55 KG at birth, you deceptively looked
fragile. As days went by, papa and mama witnessed what a strong baby you are. When I looked back at your progress in the five weeks that you were at the hospital, we are extremely proud and
impressed.

Within the first week of your birth, you were "downgraded" from NICU to Special Care
Nursery because you did so well! Hurray! Each week, you hit some kind of a milestone and before we know it, you were ready for home. The time in the hospital passed by quicker than expected.
While it was a very trying time for papa and mama, there were many moments of joy as we watched you overcome one hurdle after another.

Because of your prematurity you weren't able to nurse in the beginning. Thus, the highlight for mama each day was the time we spent together during skin-to-skin. Holding you close to my body was such a lovely experience and I looked forward to it everyday. I could tell that you enjoyed it too and that touched me deeply.

When you were ready to suckle, I experienced the indescribable joy of having you at my breast even though it was not spontaneous and we struggled a little at first. Still, what a sweet moment
that was for me.

Unfortunately, mama's milk supply was very far from adequate for you. It was so little that you seemed frustrated when you nursed. You were already
on formula and despite mama's untiring effort in establishing the supply, we had to let you continue with formula and my breastmilk became your supplement.

We celebrated our first Lunar New Year in the hospital with papa giving a feed on the bottle. Mama couldn't do it because I was sick mostly due to sheer exhaustion, stress and poor rest.
Subsequently, I was asked to stay at home and that was so hard and I missed you so much. That was one of the important lessons in motherhood that I learned: that I need to take care of myself
first before I could care for you.

Mama knew you were in great hands though as the nurses in the nursery adored you and couldn't wait to hold and cuddle you. Darling, you are irresistible!

Second month: Transition to home

The real deal happened this month and that was having you home with us 24/7. We were simultaneously delighted and apprehensive to have you home. Can we really do it on our own?

Your parents, especially papa, are great planners but for your homecoming we found ourselves scrambling to get things ready. It was a mad rush to say the least. We learned the important lesson of
letting go of the perfect and just do what was sensible given the constraints.

On the eve of your discharge, the hospital offered us the option of rooming in with you. That was momentous as it was the first of the countless nights of us together. We officially said goodbye
to sleeping through the night. What an experience it was as we learned that you were a noisy sleeper as most preemies are. Even in your sleep, you made noises, gurgled and chuckled. Very
intriguing and confusing too! Needless to say we didn't have much sleep that night.

We were warned that some babies have difficulties transitioning from hospital to home. Thank God, you were a trooper and did swimmingly well. You seem to love being home with us and that is such
a relief.

Thence, our steep learning curve as parents began as we learn on the job. You are a dream baby, ever so patient with us as we fumble along the way. Your trust and patience in us help us to be
patient and trust ourselves too. Thank you, sweetheart. Within a short period of time, you settled in and began to thrive.

To rule out Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), we needed to have your eyes checked. Eye check is pretty easy for
adults as we can follow instructions but for a baby, that's a different story. Consequently, the doctor needed to put eye speculums to keep your eyes opened so that they could be examined.

As expected, you cried your heart out. It was so heartbreaking that mama ended up crying with you. Instinctively, I wanted to take the "bad things" away from you. Yet at the same time I knew it
was necessary and you had to go through it yourself. All I could do was to assure you of my presence and support you. Thankfully, you recovered quick enough. Can't say the same for your mama who
continued to tear each time she saw your swollen eyes.

I am aware that similar situations will repeat itself a million times over and I need to brace myself for them. I must dare to walk into the arena with you; willilng to be vulnerable, to support
and provide a role model for you. Baby, we mustn't resist pain, suffering and negative emotions. They are part of life and we are fully capable in handling them.

That was a tangible lesson for me and I knew I didn't fare well. That's okay. I am sure there will be other opportunities for me to strengthen this particular
muscle. You and I are on this lifetime journey together.

Third month: You are my sunshine

My darling baby, you light up the room with your smile. You are a people baby and enjoy being surrounded by people. Even when you're tired and sleepy, you would try to keep awake to listen in to
our conversations. What a polite baby you are.

Papa and mama are so grateful that we have endless suppy of you. The joy you have brought us is truly beyond words. Motherhood is surprising because I never thought I would become a mom that
gushes over her baby! I have also become someone whose mood is dependent on her baby's. When you're happy, so am I. When you suffer, I suffer too.

Since birth, we noticed that you have many interesting facial expressions that increase your cuteness quotient. I remember standing by your isolette and watching you in the early days and laughed
to myself.

You have your dark side as well and boy are you feisty when you don't get what you want. For now, that's milk and being left on your own to sleep. You are verbal about your displeasure and it
shows on your little face. The good thing is you return to your sweet self once your goal is achieved.

Speaking of that, we can tell that you are very focussed, goal-directed and persistent. These are all very good characteristics, dear baby. We have started to do tummy time with you. Initially,
you hated it and would cry. By and by you get better and even find a way to soothe yourself! It's pretty remarkable and that makes me believe that we human being appreciate challenges. Once we
surmount a challenge, it gives us a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.

You have clear preferences as well. For instance, you like your milk warm and it has to be just right, not too hot or cold. You like to have at least one hand out when we swaddle you. Once in a
while, you even manage to get both of your hands out from the swaddle! Your papa calls you our little Houdini. You are not fully aware of what you can do with your hands yet. At the moment, you
seem to enjoy using them to smack mama's face.

Physically, you have definitely grown and that thrills us to no end. Your weight has almost tripled since birth and it's pretty visible (refer to the pictures in this post). Mama particularly
loves how your face has become much chubbier. Cuteness overload!

A highlight of this month is that we did your first photoshoot. Again, you were such a trooper. Even though we messed up your schedule you were pretty cooperative (as cooperative as babies can
manage). The outcome of the shoot was awesome. When I saw how gorgeous and beautiful you were during the slide presentation, tears rolled down my cheek. Ya, your mama is sappy. I imagine I'd cry
buckets when you graduate or walk down the aisle.

My dearest daughter, you must remember that we love you with all our heart and we will do everything in our power to nurture and raise you to your fullest potential. Please reveal yourself to us
and teach us to be good parents to you. Be patient when we are slow to read your cues and remember that your parents are not perfect. All of us wears the L-plate in this incredible journey. Let's enjoy and savour this ride together.

Once again, thank you for giving us this opportunity to be your parents and for being the lovely you.

Love,

Mama

I read a book recently that expresses a sentiment of mine. It says, "to re-create something in words is like being alive twice." How true.

These letters are written for my daughter to read some day. At the same time, it also allows me to share my thoughts with others, something that I love to do. I am very grateful for the positive
response that I have received from the birth story that I wrote. Thank you very much for the encouragement and kind words. Thank you also for reading.

Do you remember the time when we fell in loveDo you remember the time when we first met

(Michael Jackson's song: Do you remember the time)

It turns out that Michael Jackson was on to something important in strengthening a relationship. Remembering or reminiscing how you've started as a couple is important.

Thus, today's bite-size tip is to remember your love story from time to time.

My husband and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary recently. As a sentimentalist, it comes to me naturally to remember how we've started and celebrate how far we've come as a couple. It
never fails to bring smiles to my face when I think about the first time we met. What a journey it has been and we have gone through so much from being strangers to lovers and now parents to a sweet baby.

From the practice of reminiscing, I observe the following:

1. It activates the fondness and admiration system, which is important in bringing a
couple closer together. In our busy lives, it is too easy to neglect and take each other for granted. When we remember how we have begun and how much effort we used to put in to make each other
feel special, hopefully it will motivate us to continue to show more appreciation, kindness and understanding towards our significant other.

2. It promotes "we-ness"

Looking back at how we have created fond memories together through various adventures and activities makes me feel so much closer to my husband. Since he is my best friend, my most wonderful
memories always include him.

3. It glorifies the struggle that we have gone. In remembering, I also recall the challenges that my husband and I have overcome in order to be together. He met me before I was diagnosed with
Moyamoya Disease and stood by me every step of the way. He certainly proved his love and commitment through his actions. This further cements my commitment
to him and I firmly believe that we can surmount any life challenges together.

What can you do to enhance this process of reminiscing? Here are some suggestions:

Look at your wedding album and/or watch wedding DVD together. This is one sure way to bring back the fond memories. Also, take the time to have a nice long chat about your thoughts and
feelings.

Recently, I changed the profile picture on the Facebook to one that was taken of us on our wedding day. Whenever I open the Facebook, the picture serves as an instant cue to be thankful for
the gift of our marriage.

I also take the time to read the cards that my husband has gifted me over the years. He is not particularly expressive verbally so reading what he wrote touches me deeply.

Writing is a great way to process your thoughts and feelings. It also helps you to remember and you can always go back and reread what you've written. Personally, I love rereading what I have
written in the past.

What do you think of this bite-size tip? Do share your thoughts in the comment.

Please feel free to forward this post to someone whom you think would be interested. Like or share this post if you've enjoyed it. Thank you.

P.S. I am saddened by the news about the Boston Marathon explosions. Our thoughts and prayers
are with you. Life is unpredictable. Cherish your loved ones always.

Happy birthday sweetheart! Even though chronologically you are two months old but truly today is your termday as you turn 40 weeks. In many ways, you have exceeded our wildest dream. You brought so much joy and delight
to us within this short period of time.

Every day since your birth, mama has learned much from watching you fight and grow courageously. We are so very proud of you. On this special day, I want to tell you a marvelous story – your
birth story.

Before you were conceived

Long before your birth, my darling we wanted and desired you. Unfortunately, mama’s medical history complicated matters. Undoubtedly, there was a constant
struggle to balance mama’s health and yours, especially during the pregnancy. Certainly, I wish things were different but it is what it is.

When my neurosurgeon gave me the green light to try to conceive in July 2009, we were so excited. To have a safe pregnancy, mama had to
stop taking an anti-cholesterol medicine temporarily. With that the waiting game begun.

Sadly, the menses came month after month and mama began to feel discouraged and sad. One year passed. We sought help. We tried again. More challenges came our way and our hope diminished each
time we received bad news. Still, with faith as small as a mustard seed we trusted that God had the best plan for us.

Fast forward to 2011. By now, mama had stopped taking the medicine for more than two years. Not surprisingly, my blood cholesterol had crept up to a level that was unfavourable. My doctor
expressed his concern. Papa was concerned. We finally decided that we would give ourselves several more months before calling it quit.

In September 2011, mama finally made the decision to restart my medicine. It was one of the hardest things I had to do and I
agonized and grieved over it for many months. Watching one’s dream vanished was really painful.

At week 8. Thrilled to see and hear you.

Miracle touched us – discovery of your conception

As they say, miracle happens when you least expect it. Indeed, you came into our lives surreptitiously, little one.

After your grandma and aunt left from their visit in July 2012, I discovered that my period was much later than usual. Protecting myself against
disappointment, I kept my expectation low when we bought the home pregnancy test.

God was merciful and we were spared of the torturous wait because within seconds the plus sign appeared on the indicator. We were speechless!
Utterly beyond belief!

Your papa was in such disbelief that he read the instructions several times just to be sure that we had followed them correctly. Meanwhile, I was over the moon! God had answered our prayer in His time. He is faithful!

Because I was still taking the medicine when you were conceived, we were concerned. A consult with the physician allayed our fear but there was still a certain amount of anxiety.

Everything felt unreal until we saw and heard your heartbeat for the first time. We were so amazed that at barely eight weeks, your heartbeat was distinct and strong. It was such a magical moment
that words failed me.

Yes, we were pregnant and you are our miracle baby!

And you know what was the bonus? You were going to be a March baby just like your mama! In fact, you due date was one day before my birthday. God had
intended you to be my most treasured birthday gift. I couldn't be happier.

Babymoon in November 2012. Destination: Santorini Island, Greece.

The pregnancy: a roller-coaster ride

In the first trimester, mama suffered from morning sickness but it was tolerable. What I didn’t expect was the extreme fatigue that I experienced and that’s when realized that making baby is hard work!

Due to my medicalhistory and advanced age, the pregnancy was considered high-risk. Consequently, the doctor referred me to see maternal-fetal specialist at
Lucille-Packard Children’s Hospital, where you and I received top-notch care. This in itself
was a great blessing and I am so grateful that we chose this hospital.

Following the initial rapture, things started to go downhill after we went for first trimester genetic testing and other tests. First, my result was borderline for gestational diabetes. I had to undergo dietary change and daily finger prick.

The second issue was more serious as the risk of me having a baby with Down syndrome was 1 in 67. We spoke with
a genetic counselor and decided to go for the Harmony Test. The results for this took one to two weeks and that
waiting period was most agonizing.

During this same time, I also had a threatened miscarriage and bled for two days. It was an extremely
stressful period even as we held on tightly to our faith and each other.

The good news was that you are fine (i.e. your risk of having Down Syndrome was less than 1 in 10,000). Incidentally, this result came to me on my
fifthanniversary since the brain bypass surgery. To me, it is God’s way of assuring me that He is in control and I need not fear.

Things improved as we approached the second trimester. Together with papa, we went on several trips (Denver, Hawaii, New York City) and the biggest one of all was the babymoon in Europe. Baby, you may not realized this but you have been to Italy, Greece, Turkey and England! Also, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI blessed you at the
General Audience in the Vatican City.

What I loved most about the pregnancy was the realization that you were one with me. Literally, you were with me all the time and this filled me with such joy. When I
started to feel your kicks, I looked forward to them every single day. I took that as you communicating with me and spent much of my time talking to you.

I have never felt closer to anyone else. This is something very special that only you and I shared, my baby. When the pregnancy was cut short due to preeclampsia, I mourned for this loss for many days. I missed being one with you so much that it hurt.

January 17th - 6.15pm-3.30 am - in labor.

Your birth

About a month before your birth, mama's blood pressure started to hit the roof and became erratic. To control, I was prescribed medications but it remained unstable for a long while.
Consequently, I was in and out of the hospital several times. In fact, you and I spent our Christmas at the hospital.

After several tests, it was confirmed that I had severe preeclampsia. The doctor decided that I had to remain
at the hospital till it was time for you to be delivered in order to monitor me closely. January 9th was the day when this occured and I was at week 30 and 5 days.

I panicked initially because we had done so little in preparation for you. Eventually, I accepted my fate and prayed hard that I could keep you for as long as possible in the womb because that
was the best place for you. Yet this had to be managed delicately such that both our safety can be assured.

Nine days later, you were born.

On January 17th, my blood pressure readings spiked for the umpteenth time and I was already at the maximum doses for the medicines that I took. Prior to this day, I had met with
numerous specialists, visited the NICU and took the steroid injection, which helped to mature your lungs. Thus, the
team came and informed me that we had done all that we could to prepare you for the world and it was time.

I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was super excited that we would see you very soon. On the other, I was worried about you surviving outside of my womb.

At around six o’clock, I was transferred to Labor and Delivery. The initial plan was to induce me and try for vaginal birth. This took place around 6.15 pm. I was also given magnesium sulphate at
the same time as a preventive measure for seizure since I had preeclampsia. Shortly after that I started to experience contractions and before the pain became unbearable I was administered the
epidural at 8:15 pm.

I felt instant relief and managed to nap for several hours. The doctor checked on me every now and then but my progress was very slow. After nine hours I was only one cm dilated. To speed things
up, the doctor broke the water at 3.30 am.

From this point on, everything happened in a blur. Despite the intervention, I was not progressing and you seemed to be in distress. The decision was made for a Caesarian Section then. More drugs
were given and there was a buzz around me as everyone prepared for the operation before I was moved to the operating theater.

I felt nothing as the incision was made on my belly. It was such a very strange feeling being strapped and I shivered non-stop. Fortunately, the anesthesiologist was kind and assured me that
everything was going fine. As I struggled to find a comfortable position, I heard a tiny cry. At that moment I realized that you were born! The baby whom I had been carrying in my womb all this
while was here! This happened around 4 AM.

Sadly the neonatologists whisked you away because they had to examine you immediately. Left behind on the table as your papa went with you to NICU, I couldn't quite express my feelings. For one,
I was very sad that I didn't get to meet you at all, much less to hold or place you at my breast to suckle.

Yes, I knew the priority was to get you examined and treated but still I mourned the lost opportunity to hold you the moment you were born. I had to leave the operating theater without you my
dearest baby and that was so painful.

Meeting you for the first time. You had me the moment I held you.

Meeting you for the first time

Baby, mama only got to see you the day after you were born because I was in no condition to get up. I couldn't wait to see you and had to rely on papa to take pictures of you. Even though you are
preterm, you look like an angel.

The first time we met was nothing like what I had expected. I had mixed emotions throughout. You looked so tiny and fragile in the incubator as you were only 1.55 kg. My tears flowed
uncontrollably. Yet, you looked so perfect.

I will never forget the gift you gave me when I first held you. At first you cried when the nurse placed you in my arms. However, when I started to talk to you, you calmed down and stared at me
intently. You held your gaze on me as though you recognized that I am your mama. It made me so happy that I had such an impact on you. That was such a precious moment and I thank you for that.

I will tell you the rest of the story in detail when you're older. Briefly, you stayed on in the hospital for about 5 weeks. Right from the start, the doctors were optimistic of your prognosis.
Still, the early days were challenging and I am so glad that it's behind us now.

You have been home for about three weeks now and we enjoy every moment with you. We are delighted that your weight has increased steadily and you weigh 3.01 kg today!

Once again, happy birthday my darling Olivia. You have completely changed our lives and we are so blessed to be your parents. Thank you for loving us so and we look forward to spending the rest
of our lives with you.

We love you so much, baby girl. You are our pride and joy.

Clockwise: Day 1 when you were born. Precious moments with papa and mama. Beautiful you.

Yes, this space has been super quiet because someone has taken over our lives. And we are happy and grateful that she has.

World, meet our daughter, Olivia Grace.

Truly, the greatest lesson in pregnancy and parenting is how little control one has. My baby decided that she is ready for the world and came eight weeks
early from her due date. As you can imagine, that totally threw us off course, left us scrambling and living in uncertainty and fear for several weeks.

She is six weeks old now and has been doing really well.

Indeed, each of us is born with greater resilience than we can ever imagine. At such a tender age, my baby demonstrated hers and we are so very thankful for
her strong fighting spirit.

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank my tribe for the prayers, support and love shown to us during this challenging time.

As I embrace my role as a new mother, this space will take a backseat. However, because I derive much pleasure and satisfaction from writing, I will make effort to share my thoughts from time to
time.

First of all please allow me to wish you all a very happy and fulfilling New Year 2013! I also like to thank you for your continual support despite the lack of post since
we left for our babymoon.

We had an incredible time in Europe and the whole experience has enriched our lives greatly. Ideas had been swirling in my head and I was looking forward to share my thoughts with you but things
happened that took away my time and energy.

Ever since I started the practice of writing the gratitude list, it has helped me tremendously in recognising what is going well in my life. This keeps me
positive and hopeful especially when the going is tough.

At the start of this New Year, it is timely to look back at the year 2012 and be grateful for the gifts that I have received. I do firmly believe that life is full of surprises and blessings. We
just need to pay attention to them.

Here are 12 things that I am grateful for in 2012:

1. The miracle of life

The unexpected pregnancy is definitely what we are most grateful for this year. We feel honoured for this privilege to be parents to our unborn baby. It is a
dream comes true. Truthfully, the pregnancy has been difficult and there have been many challenges that tested our faith along the way. I have learned great
lessonsfrom the experience and I know the learning is not going to end anytime soon. For once, I am very grateful that I do not have a work commitment
and that I can take as much as rest as I need.

I am infinitely blessed with a loving and protective husband who continues to impress me. Our marriage is at a very happy place and we look forward to the next stage of our life when the baby
arrives. He is my pillar of strength and my best friend. With him by my side, I know we can weather any storm of life.

4. Excellent care providers

With the challenges that I face in the pregnancy, I am very grateful to be under the excellent care of my providers who are not only competent but also compassionate and caring. They help allay
the fear and anxiety. It also helps greatly that our insurance coverage is sufficient and we don't have to worry about finances.

5. Family visit

I am really thankful that my mum and sister made that long and arduous trip to the Bay Area to share a piece of our lives here. Couple of months later, mum
had a fall that led to a hip fracture. She is in recovery now and this hits home that I really need to cherish all the time we have together because you never know what's going to happen next.

6. Great opportunities for growth and development.

This stint offers me wonderful opportunities for growth and development both in my professional and personal life. Last year, I attended two acclaimed conferences that inspire me to be a better
clinician/therapist. I get to do courses at the prestigious Stanford and Berkeley, something that I value greatly. My hunger and love for learning is definitely satiated by the many opportunities
that are available here.

7. Strong and supportive tribe

Other than my family, my friends are definitely my tribe. I know I can count on them in good and bad times. They have come through for me
with their love and prayers when I first underwent my treatment back in 2004 and then my surgeries in 2007. And now as I go through my pregnancy, they are there ready with words of
encouragements, support and prayers. Thank you my dearest friends. You know who you are!

8. Technology and Social Media

Sadly, majority of my tribe resides half way across the globe and you can imagine my gratitude for whatever means that can connect me with them easily. Technology has removed the barrier and
distance so to speak and I get connected with family and friends at the touch of a button. Social media has also enabled me to keep abreast of the happenings in the lives of my friends and
family. Cool stuff that I am grateful for when you live so far away.

9. Readers of Winifred & You

Yes, I am very grateful for you. You are the reason why I started this blog more than a year ago. My love of reading, sharing and writing found an outlet in this space. Your
readership and support has been a great encouragement. Without readers, a blog is meaningless. I write because I have something to say that I hope will make a difference in the lives of others.
Thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

10. Extensive travelling

Travelling and good food are the two luxuries that we indulge in. Last year, we had the opportunity to visit many places including Tokyo, the Canadian Rockies, Hawaii and four European countries
- Italy, Turkey, Greece and England for our babymoon. Thousands of great memories have been created and while we know that travelling will no longer be the same when the little one arrives, we
are extremely grateful for all that we have experienced. We are also grateful that we were kept safe in all our travels especially those that we took during the pregnancy.

Most days I feel contented with my life. Sure, life is imperfect and I have my share of frustrations and bad hair day but overall life is pretty awesome.While we are not rich, famous or influential,I have more than I need materially. I may not have a paid job or a successful career to speak of but I am doing what I
enjoy on a daily basis. I imagine my current life is the portrayal of my retirement life and that makes me very grateful that I am living it already.

So, thank you 2012 for all the blessings, surprises, joy, pain, struggles and everything in between.

In several hours, we will be taking an epic adventure on our longest vacation ever. When we planned for this trip, we had no idea that we will be blessed with a
baby. Thus, this is an accidental babymoon, which is a bonus.

The fact that it falls within my second trimester, which is known to be the best time to travel, reveals God's divine provision. We are so thankful and will
cherish and savour every moment of it. Many have advised us to enjoy this time, as it will not be the same traveling with baby in tow! Trust me, we will!

I also know that I am not the only person who has been transformed by my pregnancy; my husband is too. Thus, I need to keep the communication line open and
show interest and openness to how this has affected him. This will also be the perfect time to just focus on each other and cultivate generosity and kindness
in the relationship. You can bet we'll be holding hands a lot, which incidentally is my surest source of joy.

We have always enjoyed traveling and in the past few years have been greatly blessed with numerous opportunities to do just that. This will definitely be a memorable one and I am bursting with
excitement!

As such, there won't be update on this space for the duration that we are away. Thank you for your continual support and I hope to see you back here when we return in early December.

I have recently reached the midpoint of my pregnancy, which brought much relief and comfort. It is true that the second trimester is the most enjoyable stage
and I am taking full advantage of my increased level of energy and zest for life.

Being pregnant is such a momentous event that it won't leave you untouched. Today, I like to share with you the key lessons that I have learned in the past few months.

1. Pregnancy is a gift

While it is true that every woman has the potential to get pregnant, I learn that it is not something that one should take for granted. Yet, no one truly gives much thought to this fact until
infertility rears its ugly head.

One can have the best-laid plans and put in every effort imaginable and there is still no guarantee that you will get the result that you desire. We can only do our part to increase the
likelihood of getting pregnant but we have no control over the outcome. This is the first lesson in vulnerability and helplessness in pregnancy. The waiting game is always painful and there is no
easy way to get around it.

The gift becomes that much more precious when you least expect it. For a recovering control freak like myself, this is a huge lesson. I need to trust and surrender and when the time is right, God
will intervene. And He did.

There are so many things that could go wrong especially in the early stages of pregnancy and one has little control over it. Worries and anxieties are abound. The only constructive thing that one
can do is to take great care of oneself by getting sufficient rest, eating well and exercising. Also, take a leap of faith.

Being of "advanced age", the possibility of having a baby with Down syndrome is real for me. On top of the typical anxieties that come with the territory, every test and investigation stirs up a
well of fear and uncertainties. Until the baby is born and certified healthy, we have to deal with uncertainty.

Truly, this is an event that is largely beyond our control and there is no right or wrong way to move through the experience. I learn that the sooner I let go of the fantasy and desire to control
the outcome, the better it will be for my sanity. The challenge is to embrace the full experience, good and bad and surrender.

3. Pregnancy is a preview of what parenting is about

The lesson in vulnerability and surrender continues when one becomes a parent. You can practice the best parenting style there is out there and it still doesn't guarantee that your child will
turn out the way you envision.

I have seen wonderful parents who work diligently to raise their children the best way they know how with disappointing and painful results. There are so many variables that determine how a
person will turn out and the the process is so much more complex than we imagine.

Therefore, I see pregnancy as the starting point for me to embrace the pain and vulnerability that is inherent in raising a child. I am not being pessimistic. No, I am an optimist by nature.
However, I want to be realistic and understand my limitations and not set myself up for heartbreak and disappointments in future.

This pregnancy reminds me of the miraculous process that is happening in my body every single day. As I look into the mirror and see my growing belly, I marvel at my body and feel tremendous
gratitude.

As a biology student, I have a decent understanding and respect for the human body but what you've learned in school pale in comparison to what you experience in real life.

It is mind-boggling how the body knows what to do at what time. The tiny being inside me knows how to grow, feed, multiply and divide itself to form tiny heart, lungs, arms, legs etc. And I have
little awareness of this super complex miracle that is happening inside my body! How amazing is that?

I definitely learn that the body is incredibly resilient and it is an adaptive piece of biological machinery. Dramatic changes happen outwardly and internally day-by-day to accommodate the
growing baby in my body. It hits home that I must appreciate and take better care of my body that is doing all the work during pregnancy and delivery. My job is to cooperate.

5. Pregnancy is a time of self-discovery

I have always imagined that I will freak out when I discover that I am pregnant (because of the deep ambivalence that I feel about being a mother, which is for another post). But when the home
pregnancy test came back positive, I was over the moon and felt so grateful. There was not a shred of panic.

I also didn't expect the surge of strong and protective emotions over my unborn baby. Even at seven weeks, the size of a blueberry, I feel deep attachment and connection to my baby, whom to me is
not a mere glob of cells but a real person. I love this baby with an intensity and fierceness that I don't quite recognise.

It just goes to show that I don't really know myself all that well. The other plausible explanation is that having a baby transforms me and that I need to be alert and mindful of the changes that
are happening in my mindset, attitudes and behaviours. To me, this is a time a great self-discovery and transformation. I am very excited and look forward to the process.

6. Pregnancy is hard work.

The extreme fatigue that I experienced in the first trimester came as a huge surprise. All I was capable of doing during those period was eat and sleep. Who would have imagined that creating a
baby could take so much out of you?

I learn that I need to listen to my body, manage my expectations, prioritize and show self-compassion. I am also learning to be more patient with myself. The
pregnancy symptoms can be nasty at times and there is little that I can do to control them. I have to remember put the Serenity Prayer into action
constantly.

Instead of feeling guilty for resting so much and being unproductive, I reminded myself constantly that my body is undergoing dramatic and important changes; that I am growing a baby and it IS
hard work.

I am positive that there will be more important and great lessons that I will learn along the way. Most of all, I feel extremely blessed to have this amazing opportunity to experience a new life
within me. I know having a baby is definitely going to be THE life-changing and turning point in our lives. I pray that I will embrace every aspect of motherhood with
courage, faith and grace.

Food for thought: What have you learned from your pregnancy? I'd love to hear from you!

Image courtesy of Deborah Koff-Chapin. "May all who are in the path of these spiraling winds and waters be held in love and safety. May we use the power of this storm to remember our unity and wholeness as humans."

One of my favourite cities to visit in America is New York City. After my first trip in April of 2010, I left my heart there. The city that never sleeps offers much in terms of attractions,
stimulations and new experiences. Every single trip has been memorable and fabulous, including our most recent one.

We were in NYC last week and came back to the Bay Area on Saturday evening, just a day before Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. While we feel extremely blessed and grateful to have escaped the
horrific storm, our hearts ache for the massive devastation that befell not only NYC but also many neighbouring cities.

Watching the special edition of ABC's 20/20 entitled "The Perfect Storm" yesterday was
both surreal and painful. It is just crazy to see the flood inside the subway tunnels when just days ago the subway brought us everywhere.

It certainly hits home to never take anything for granted and to cherish all that we have before it is taken away.

The impact of this calamity is beyond words and it's gonna take a while for the city to rebuild. And rebuild herself she will, I am sure. The city has been through worse and is definitely
resilient.

Moreover, it is very heartwarming and inspiring to see the humanity and kindness of people in the wake of such tragedy. Kudos to the first responders and public workers who work tirelessly to
ensure the safety of the people. They are our unsung heroes and let's continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers.

Anytime Resolution - As the name suggests, it is a resolution that can be taken up anytime when you feel the need and are ready for a change. I hope to
provide you with some useful suggestions that will bring you closer to living a more flourishing life in various aspects.

To be sure, I don't actively seek them out. There is no need to do so because no one is spared from the pain and darkness in life. But when adversity presents itself, it's worthwhile to remember
that our reaction and response can determine the kind of person we will become.

Just as we can train our muscles to be stronger by exercising consistently at the gym, so can we do the same thing to our character and habits. The following quote expresses this neatly:

"Courage is like a habit, a virtue: you get it by courageous acts. It's like you learn to swim by swimming. You learn courage by couraging."

“...neurons that fire together, wire together,” each time you do a practice, it strengthens key neural circuits like building a muscle in the gym.

Truly, there are times when we do not have control over what happens in our life. The good news is we always do have a choice in how we want to respond. The moment that we accept
the troubles in our lives, a door will be opened that gives a glimpse of who we really are, what we are capable of doing and being. Deep within, we are all survivors.

Today, I can share this message with full conviction only because I have been through all the different challenges triumphantly. Was it hard and painful? Of course! It is hard too when we try to
build stronger muscles. It is the same process.

Therefore, when the next adversity shows up my hope is that you will remember this resolution to embrace adversity, rather than resisting it. Your muscles for affliction will be strengthened and
you will be a much stronger person as a result. I know because I speak from experience.

Sharing is caring. Please feel free to share this post with your friends or family especially if you know of someone who is facing trial and tribulation right now. Thank you.

One of the common challenges of modern life is the lack of time. Have you heard the following exclamations recently?

"I wish there were more than 24 hours in a day"

"I wish there were two of me so that I can do more"

There is no denying that time is a precious commodity and our challenge is really to manage and use it for what is important to us.

Today's bite-size tip is to put in your schedule what is of consequence to you.

There is a perpetual tension between what's urgent and important in our daily lives.
Unfortunately, what is urgent is often more visible and insists on our attention and action. Therefore, the important matters often take a backseat. Yet, these are what contribute to our mission,
values, goals and satisfaction in life.

I find that a simple strategy that can be used to ensure that important things get done is by scheduling them in your calendar. Experts have advised couples to schedule a date night or even sex
time to make sure that this key component of relationship is not neglected. You might think that it takes the surprise and spontaneity element out of it but the alternative could possibly be "out
of sight, out of mind" and nothing gets done.

I have an epic project that I've been sitting on for ages. I really want to complete it within the next couple of months and the first thing that needs to be done is to make sure that it appears
on my schedule. It doesn't mean that it needs to be done in one sitting. I just need to get started and work on it regularly.

Do you have important things that you really want to do but haven't found the time to do them yet? You are not alone.

Yet, fretting is not going to get you there. My suggestion is to take a good look at your daily schedule and observe what's on it. Next, make a list of the important things that you want to do
and schedule them in one by one. Refrain from being overly ambitious as you may set yourself up for failure. Always start small and do it often.

In my most recent post, I shared about being in the midst of uncertainties and the good news is we received desirable news shortly after that. It was such a
huge relief and we are EXTREMELY grateful.

The truth of the matter is this is just one of the many hurdles that we need to overcome. Still, I am hopeful that with the right coping skills, we will be able to surmount all the
challenges.

I believe that no one is immune from such circumstance and I wish to share with you some pointers on how to keep our sanity during those moments of uncertainties. Here are eight coping strategies
that have helped me tremendously.

1. Stay in the present

Worries and anxieties are always present when the future is unknown. Our thoughts often get ahead of us and we imagine thousand and one negative scenarios and that further increase our worries
and anxieties. The most effective way to deal with this demon is to remain the in the present and avoid jumping to conclusion prematurely.

Undeniably, this takes great discipline and the willingness to let go of the obsessive thoughts. Keep repeating to self that the future is not here.

Remind self that I do not know what the outcome is and there is no point in torturing myself by imagining the worst. All that I have is the present moment and I need to cherish it.

This quote rings true: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

When things are beyond our control, it is important to recognize them as moments of suffering and extend self-compassion. Feeling helpless is a difficult
emotion. It is painful and it makes one feel diminished and useless. We feel vulnerable and lost. Bestow patience and kindness instead of judgment during this time and it will
help one to cope better.

I found a very useful mantra from the book, Self-Compassion by Dr Kristin Neff.
It goes like this:

This is a moment of suffering

Suffering is part of life

May I be kind to myself in this moment

May I give myself what I need

Meditating on this mantra allows me to remember that I am not alone in my suffering because everyone suffers and it is part of life. This awareness connects me to others who suffer and brings
about a sense of universality. Very often we feel isolated and disconnected because we feel as though we are the only one who suffers, which is far from the truth.

The mantra also reminds me to give myself what I need in moment of suffering. If what I needed is a good cry, that's what I should do. If I needed a helping hand, I must have the courage to be vulnerable and ask for it.

4. Reach out and get support

This coping strategy has saved me time and again. I am also immensely grateful that I have found my tribe whom I know will be there for me at a moment's
notice. Because I believe in the power of prayer, I often activate my prayer warriors to pray for us when we go through trials in life. Their support and prayer give me tremendous comfort and
strength to keep going.

I firmly believe that I have not collapsed under all the anxiety and pressures because I know there are many who are praying for us. I count on their faith when mine is weak.

Many people choose to withdraw and isolate themselves when bad things happen. It is understandable because it's extremely hard to be vulnerable and weak. Yet, this is where the danger lies. The
more isolated you are, the more likely your negative thoughts supersede the rational ones. Seek a confidante whom you can trust and open up. Bottling up is never a good solution.

5. Strengthen the connection with your spouse/loved ones

Crisis occasionally drives a wedge between couples but it need not be so. You can turn it into a great moment of connection. It is crucial to strengthen the connection and allow the other to know
that you are there for him or her. Even when you do not agree on how to deal with the situation, be sure to show your respect and willingness to listen to his or her point of views.

Create an environment that is safe to share your deepest feelings and thoughts. Be generous and show compassion. As much as you can, support each other
to the best of your ability and journey together in overcoming the obstacles.

6. Keep your routine

It is very tempting to give up your routine and just spend the time moping and being miserable. Based on my experience this is not only ineffective but a waste of time.

If the waiting period is long, make use of the time to do pleasurable activities. For example, we arranged to meet up with a group of friends for dinner and had such a lovely time that we
momentarily forgot about the anxiety. Distraction is an effective tool, which is not only helpful in working with young children but adults too.

7. Count your blessings

I am a firm believer in the power of gratitude and positivity. When crisis presents itself, it is very easy to lose
sight of what is going well in our lives. We still have each other and our friends, a roof over our head, good health and numerous blessings. Writing my
gratitude list helps me see the bigger picture and fortifies my faith that things are going to be okay no matter what happens. It generates hope and optimism that help one to stay afloat.

The Serenity Prayer continues to be instrumental especially when I am dealing with uncertainties. It enables me to see what are the situations that are within my control and what actions I can
take. At the same time, it reminds me that there are things that are beyond my control and I need to learn to trust and surrender.

I hope you will give some considerations to these strategies and give them a shot. You will only know if it is effective when you try it.

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